Oswald lunged toward the thick tendons in the Crawling Dragon’s forelimb. He aimed for the softest point he could find, but the beast reacted with startling speed for something so massive. Muscles rippled beneath its plated hide as it shifted its weight, twisting just enough for his strike to glance uselessly off the hardened ridges of its scales. Damn thing's fast.

  He adjusted his footing to press the attack before it could fully recover. Oswald thought he had found an opening.

  Yet, the monster’s massive leg suddenly lashed out, Oswald had barely a heartbeat to react. He twisted to evade the full brunt of the blow, but it was too late.

  A crushing force slammed into his ribs, sending him hurtling backward like a ragdoll. The breath was ripped from his lungs as he crashed against the cavern floor, jagged rock scraping against his limbs as he skidded uncontrollably. Before he could even process the pain, his back smashed into the stone wall with a sickening crack.

  The cavern shuddered around him. Dust and loose debris rained from above, scattering across the ground.

  Oswald’s vision wavered, a ringing overtaking his ears as his skull throbbed from the impact. His lungs refused to cooperate, like his body had almost forgotten how to breathe. A sharp, searing pain flared along his side, sending violent tremors through his muscles.

  He gasped, finally managing to drag in a breath, only for it to come out as a wet, ragged cough. Blood dripped down his chin.

  Oswald grimaced, dragging a shaky hand up to wipe the crimson smear from his mouth with the back of his hand. Damn it…

  His whole body ached. One more hit like that, and Oswald knew he wasn’t getting back up.

  The Crawling Dragon snarled, shifting its bulk as it turned toward him. It's ridged tail curled slightly, massive claws flexing against the cavern floor as it charged, the sheer force of its weight making the ground tremble beneath it.

  Oswald’s muscles screamed in protest as he forced himself to his feet. Gotta move, now!

  He ignored the sharp pain flaring in his ribs, looking at the rushing beast. Just as the Crawling Dragon lunged, Oswald sprinted straight toward it.

  The cavern trembled beneath the beast’s charge, every step hammering against the stone with the force of a landslide. It had no intention of stopping. It was trying to to crush him against the wall and grind him into the rock like he was nothing. Not a damn chance.

  At the last possible second, he threw himself low, diving beneath the monster’s towering bulk. The air above him shifted violently as its massive frame rushed past, the sheer force of its movement dragging heat and dust in its wake.

  The Crawling Dragon’s full weight slammed into the cavern wall. A deafening crack split through the air, the shockwave rattling through the stone as chunks of rock broke loose and crashed to the ground. The beast let out a furious snarl, its front limbs pinned against the shattered wall, claws scraping against stone as it struggled to push itself free.

  Oswald knew this was his big chance. He dashed forward, boots skidding over uneven ground as he closed in on its hind leg. His grip tightened around his longsword, there was only one thing left to do.

  With a sharp inhale, he drove the blade down with everything he had. Steel met flesh.

  A sickening, visceral tear split through the cavern as his sword bit deep behind the dragon’s knee. The muscle gave way with a brutal snap, severed clean through.

  The Crawling Dragon howled in pain. Fury and agony bled into every note of the monstrous cry. The monster lurched, shuddering as its wounded leg buckled slightly beneath it.

  Meanwhile, Oswald wrenched his sword free and bolted while he still had the chance. His ribs flared with each pounding step, but stopping wasn’t an option. He forced his body to move, pushing through the pain as he put as much distance as possible between himself and the thrashing beast.

  Behind him, the deep groan of stone breaking filled the cavern. The Crawling Dragon wrenched itself free with a furious bellow, tearing through the rock that had momentarily trapped it.

  Oswald risked a glance over his shoulder. The beast’s wounded leg trembled slightly, its balance thrown off, but it was still standing.

  His fingers curled tighter around his sword hilt. Oswald's pulse pounded in his ear, —not from exhaustion, not from fear, but rather, from excitement.

  Gradually, Oswald's muscles no longer ached. The pain that had racked his ribs just moments ago faded beneath a rising heat surging through his limbs.

  The Crawling Dragon thrashed, shuddering again as dark blood spilled from the fresh wound at its leg. Oswald barely registered the monster’s enraged howl, the boy was already moving again.

  His feet struck the cavern floor faster than before. A pulse of energy rippled through his body, his sword feeling lighter in his grasp as he charged forward, no hesitation, no second thoughts.

  He darted in low, narrowly avoiding a wild sweep of the dragon’s tail. Its wounded hind leg trembled, struggling to bear its weight, leaving it open.

  Oswald lunged, carving through the tendon of its second hind leg. The same intoxicating rush surged through him again. The sensation of resistance, of slicing through thick muscle, the hot spray of blood coating his cloak, sending a thrill down his spine

  The Crawling Dragon screeched, shaking violently as its balance collapsed beneath it. Its hind legs buckled, lurching forward as it tried to stay upright. Oswald let out a slow breath, smiling. That’s right… plenty more where that came from.

  His movements felt faster now, his body lighter, as if something inside him had awakened and was pushing him forward. The thrill grew, his limbs no longer resisting but demanding more blood, more movement, more carnage.

  Fortunately, he was still lucid enough to remember Selene’s words. Gotta hit the underside of the jaw.

  His eyes flicked upward. The Crawling Dragon lowered its head slightly, its breath ragged, thick saliva dripping from its jagged fangs. A perfect opening.

  Oswald rushed forward as he closed the distance in seconds. The monster's eyes widened in fear as the boy slid beneath its throat, blade already swinging upward.

  The cut was deep, slicing through the vulnerable underside of its jaw, straight through muscle and blood vessels. A gush of hot, dark blood erupted from the wound, drenching his arms, splattering against Oswald's face, the scent thick and metallic.

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  A sharp, almost euphoric jolt shot through his body at the sensation. The Crawling Dragon screamed as its body convulsed. The monster thrashed around wildly in a desperate attempt to kill him, but it was futile.

  Oswald grinned, stepping back as the beast’s body shuddered violently. He felt stronger now, but even as the monster reeled from pain, Oswald knew it wasn’t dead yet.

  The Crawling Dragon convulsed as dark blood poured from its shredded throat. Oswald used the opportunity to move to the side, narrowly avoiding a desperate swipe from the beast’s massive claw. Not enough. I ain't letting you get back up.

  His sword cut a gleaming arc through the air, its edge seeking the soft tissue between the plated scales of its forelimb. But the moment the attack connected, something changed.

  A red aura pulsed along the length of his blade, faint at first. Then it flared, a deep, visceral glow that spread like blood soaking into steel. The edge cut deeper than it should have, parting thick muscle and sinew as if slicing through wet paper.

  The Crawling Dragon shrieked. Oswald barely registered the sound, his movements sharpening as if something unseen was guiding him forward. This… this feels different.

  The weight of his sword, the resistance of flesh, the intoxicating heat coursing through his veins, it all melded together into a seamless rush of sensation. His body moved before thought, instinct driving him.

  Oswald pivoted on his heel, stepping into the monster’s blind spot as its wounded limb faltered. He slashed again, the red aura flaring brighter as his sword cleaved through the tendons of its remaining forelimb. A wet snap rang through the cavern, followed by another deafening howl as the limb crumpled beneath it.

  The Crawling Dragon lurched, teetering on its barely-functioning hind legs. Oswald shot forward, slipping beneath its thrashing tail, dodging the wild, desperate movements of its broken limbs.

  His eyes locked onto the final targets: the last tendons keeping the beast upright. The Crawling Dragon tried to twist away, but its body no longer obeyed. It was cornered in its own flesh, strength unraveling with every cut Oswald delivered.

  All it took was one more swing. A brutal, visceral rip.

  The monster's tendon was severed cleanly, the thick muscle curling uselessly beneath the weight of the beast’s own body. A sickening tremor rattled the cavern as the Crawling Dragon collapsed.

  Its entire frame crumpled in on itself, crashing onto the blood-soaked stone with an impact that sent jagged fractures through the ground. The force shook Oswald to his core, the sheer power of the beast’s downfall sending gusts of wind whipping through the cavern.

  A choking, gurgling snarl rumbled from deep within its throat as it writhed in agony.. Its eyes burned with fury, but beneath that, Oswald recognized something else. Fear.

  Oswald took a step forward, boots splashing in the blood pooling around the fallen beast. It was still alive, but it wasn’t a predator anymore. Not to him.

  He moved, stepping through the pools of thick blood. The Crawling Dragon could only let out a strangled snarl as it desperately struggle to move

  Oswald’s fingers flexed around his sword, the red aura flickering even brighter. He could feel it now, thrumming beneath his skin, pushing him forward.

  His sword carved through the thick plating of the dragon’s side, slicing deep into flesh. Blood spurted in thick, hot waves, splattering against his clothes and his face. Finally.

  The Crawling Dragon's body jerked violently, tail whipping through the air in a last-ditch effort to crush him. He ducked low, avoiding the strike with ease, his legs coiling like springs before he surged upward, driving his blade deep into the base of its neck.

  A wet, meaty crunch rang out as steel bit into muscle and bone. The dragon’s body convulsed, its massive form heaving, but it was too weak to shake him off.

  Now, all that was left was to finish off the massive creature. Oswald sprinted up the beast’s trembling forearm, boots kicking off the ridged scales, using its own body as a platform to launch himself higher.

  His sword lifted. The red aura crackled, burning brighter, hotter. The Crawling Dragon reared its head back, its eyes widening as Oswald struck.

  His blade drove into the beast’s eye socket. The steel punctured deep, tearing through flesh, through fluid, through the soft, vulnerable tissue.

  The dragon screamed. But Oswald drove the blade deeper, the red aura burning so hot it felt like fire was coursing through his arms.

  The Crawling Dragon spasmed violently for several minutes. But eventually it collapsed.

  A loud crash rocked the cavern as the beast’s body slammed against the ground, its tail shuddering one last time before falling still. Its eyes dulled, the last flickers of life snuffed out as the final breath rattled from its throat.

  Oswald exhaled, his grip loosening. The rush didn’t fade, not immediately. It burned inside him, wild and restless, the energy still thrumming through his limbs, demanding more.

  He stood there, blood dripping from his fingers, sword still lodged deep in the dragon’s skull. The red aura around the blade pulsed once before it dimmed, then vanished completely.

  Oswald stared at the corpse before him, his mind still riding the last vestiges of that intoxicating high. For most of his life, Oswald could only ever dream of slaying a monster like this.

  He had long resigned himself to life in the slums, never being able to rise above his birthplace. But now, Oswald wasn't just some random schmuck living in the streets. I’m a dragon slayer… well, kinda. Hope I get to fight a real one someday.

  Oswald exhaled through his nose, dragging a hand across his face. The drying blood smeared along his cheek, tacky and warm against his skin. Damn… that fight was somethin’ else.

  His gaze drifted over the lifeless form of the Crawling Dragon. Its body broken amidst the carnage, pools of dark blood glistening beneath it.

  Then, a voice cut through the stillness. “Oswald, can you hear me?"

  Selene stood at the base of the fallen beast, her pristine white cloak untouched by the blood and ruin surrounding them. The contrast between them was almost laughable.

  Where she remained unscathed, Oswald was drenched in the aftermath. He must’ve looked like a damn mess.

  “Focus, get yourself together.”

  Oswald swallowed, the lingering rush of battle still thrumming in his chest. His breaths came fast, shallow, the energy in his limbs refusing to settle. He clenched his fingers around the hilt of his sword, then released. Again. And again. Breathe.

  He sucked in a deep breath through his nose. His lungs expanded, then slowly deflated as he forced himself to ground his thoughts.

  His heartbeat slowed. Oswald exhaled and let go.

  He lifted his gaze to Selene, her expression unreadable as always, but there was no disapproval in her eyes. “Right, I’m good now.”

  Selene gave a small nod. “Come down then.”

  Oswald turned back to the dragon, taking breath before he climbed down. His boots hit the cavern floor with a light splash as he stepped into the shallow pools of blood, the heat of the fresh kill still lingering in the air.

  He flicked his sword once, sending droplets of crimson scattering across the stone. Then, the boy wiped the blade against his already-stained cloak before sliding it into its sheath.

  “You were right, thing was worth a lotta Souls.” Oswald said, walking towards Selene.

  She raised a single brow. “Of course. I don’t lie.”

  "Of course."

  “Still, congratulations. You actually managed to slay the Crawling Dragon.”

  “Damn right I did. But I gotta hand it to ya. All of your advice really pulled me through. No way I’d have pulled that off without it.”

  “I should hope so, I would rather not waste my breath.”

  Oswald's gaze drifted back to the dragon’s massive corpse. The thing took up half the cavern, blood still pooling beneath its ruined body. “So… do we just leave it here? Wouldn’t it be worth somethin’ if we cut it up?”

  Selene glanced at the corpse, then back at him. “Carving it up would take too much time, and besides, there are plenty of scavengers around these parts who would be very grateful to see free food like that.”

  Oswald snorted, shaking his head. “Yeah, bet they would.”

  For a moment, they stood in silence. The cavern felt almost peaceful now, if one ignored the pungent smell of blood and charred stone of course.

  Then, Oswald turned to Selene. “Y'know, I’ve trained with you and got my uh, situation sorted out. Reckon you could help me finally get registered as an adventurer?”

  "Why not? I don’t mind.” Selene said.

  [Congratulations, you have earned 50 Souls!]